February 2001

AKEBONO RETIRES!

    
AKEBONO RETIRES!
Chronic Knee Pain Ends 13 Years in Sport 
From Honolulu Star-Bulletin news services

TOKYO -- He stood tall in sumo's clay dohyo, cowing opponents with his massive frame and menacing glare.  He toppled his rivals easily and made history as the first foreigner to reach the pinnacle of Japan's ancient sport.

Now Akebono, the 6-foot-9, 510-pound sumo sensation from Hawaii, will wrestle no more.

On January 22, the mammoth sumotori (civilian name:  Chad Rowan) solemnly announced his retirement at age 31.  He says the pain in his strained knees has grown too intense for him to compete.  "My legs have been hurting since before the New Year tourney, so I decided to retire," Akebono told reporters at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan after submitting his retirement notice.  "I just don't have the energy to climb the mountain again."

Ironically, Akebono, who sat out the just-concluded Hatsu Basho, decided to retire after completing his most successful 12-month stint in seven years, leading all sumotori in 2000 with 76 wins and a pair of yusho.  Akebono, who arrived at Azumazeki Beya in 1988, won the Emperor's Cup 11 times in his career.  This puts him in seventh place on the list of all-time tournament champions.  But injuries over the second half of his career forced him onto the sidelines on several occasions.  The soft-spoken grand champion displayed his usual humility and grace.  "I've gotten to do what the average person doesn't have a chance to do," he said at a news conference at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, where he was a dominant force for 13 years.  "I'm so thankful to everyone."

The road hasn't always been smooth for Akebono.  In 1993, he was promoted to sumo's top rank of yokozuna, or grand champion, amid protests by fans who said the honor should go only to Japanese wrestlers.  "Sometimes I would think, 'This is really hard,'" he said. "But looking back, I'm glad I did what I did."

Sumo elder Azumazeki Oyakata, himself a Hawaiian expatriate (original name:  Jesse Kuhaulua), said he had hoped that his star rikishi would continue, but could see it was over during the New Year tournament which concluded Sunday.  "For 13 years, Akebono put up the good fight.  That he became a yokozuna was indeed magnificent," Azumazeki said after he and Akebono had called on Nihon Sumo Kyokai chairman Tokitsukaze Rijicho to submit the retirement notice.  The Sumo Kyokai accepted the notice and the board of directors approved the sumo elder's name of "Akebono" since he has not yet secured the "toshiyori" stock needed to remain a member of the Kyokai beyond five years.

Akebono, who has taken Japanese citizenship and the Japanese name Akebono Taro, was ranked at grand champion for 48 tournaments, the fourth-longest tenure ever at that rank.  He made his sekitori debut at the 1990 Haru Basho, entered the Makunouchi Division three basho later and made komusubi at the 1991 Haru contest.   He suffered his first make-koshi at Natsu 1991, posting a 7-8 at sekiwake and being returned to the hiramaku.  He went 8-7 at maegashira #1, was reranked at komusubi for Nagoya 1991 and once again went 7-8 to drop down again.  That was his final losing effort:  he won his first yusho in May of 1992 to earn ozeki ranking.  He blasted through the field with a 14-1 in November to get his second championship, and followed it two months later at the Kokugikan with a 13-2 for two in a row and promotion to the pinnacle of the sport 

For sumo fans, the title of yokozuna has an almost-sacred ring to it.  Bestowing that honor upon Akebono was considered anathema by many, especially considering worries among Japanese fans that the sport was being overrun by foreigners.  Criticism of Akebono, whose rise through the ranks of sumo was one of the fastest in the 2,000-year history of the sport, gradually died down.  The carping resumed in 1998 when it was learned he was marrying a Japanese-American woman pregnant with his child:  in some Japanese media circles he was mocked as “the Clinton of sumo” in reference to the former US president beset by sexual scandal.  The couple now has two children.

Akebono was joined at the yokozuna level in 1999 by another Hawaii-born wrestler, Musashimaru, who currently has eight yusho to his credit.  Akebono’s retirement reduces the number of Americans in sumo to two:  Musashimaru, and Sentoryu of St. Louis.  The influx of Hawaiian wrestlers into sumo has abated:  Mongolians now form the largest single gaijin contingent, with 14 wrestlers in eight heya.  (A complete listing of foreign sumotori is printed elsewhere in this issue.)

Akebono said he wants to stay in sumo by becoming a trainer.  He may eventually run his own stable, the sport's traditional power base, where wrestlers are subjected to rigorous practice and schooled in strict sumo etiquette.  This is a typical route for retired yokozuna, and perhaps the only way Akebono can remain involved in the sport.

Those chronic knee problems and other injuries have kept him out of several tournaments, including the recent New Year's Grand Sumo Tournament.  "My body doesn't listen anymore," Akebono said. "This wasn't an easy decision.  I really agonized over it."

Akebono’s record in 63 Makunouchi Division basho (58 in sanyaku, 48 as yokozuna) is 566 wins, 198 losses and 181 absences.  He won 4 Shukun-Sho (Outstanding Performance Prize) and 2 Kanto-Sho (Fighting Spirit Prize) in addition to his 11 championships.  He earned 4 kinboshi (gold star) for wins over yokozuna while ranked at maegashira, and surrendered 35 kinboshi to other maegashira while ranked at yokozuna.

The Associated Press and Kyodo News Service contributed to this report.  “Yukikaze” edited it for SUMO SHIMPO.

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Whether the chiropractor was even doing TAKA’s sumo any good was highly debatable:  his numbersfrom Kyushu 1998 to Aki 2000 read 89 wins, 38 losses and 53 absences.  Finally, age and injuries had forced what had been a mighty supporting cast of sekitori (including WAKANOHANA) into retirement.  Futagoyama Beya tottered on the brink of its own “Fall of the House of Usher” as the Hatsu Basho 2001 – the first tournament of the Third Millennium – opened under the roof of the Kokugikan.

Since MUSASHIMARU had defeated TAKANOHANA at the 2000 Kyushu Basho,  he occupied the #1-West slot while Futagoyama’s heyagashira was at #2-East.  After winning in Fukuoka to cap his most successful year since 1993, yokozuna #1-East AKEBONO took a Kosho Seido break to rest a pair of knees that have been hurting for some time (they must have hurt worse than first figured, because he announced his retirement after the basho was completed:  see related story).  With AKEBONO on the sidelines, the other two yokozuna came out of the gate with wins and didn’t look back at the rest of the field for the first 12 days.  The separation came on the 13th day when sekiwake-East WAKANOSATO downed MUSASHIMARU with one of the brand-new kimarite listed this year:  sokubiotoshi (head chop-down).  Meanwhile TAKANOHANA used the most common winning technique, yorikiri, to best ozeki #1‑East KAIO and take the lead for himself.  But Musashigawa’s tsuna-owner forced KAIO out on day 14 to set up a chance on senshuraku.  And he made good use of that chance, sweeping TAKANOHANA aside and pushing him down onto his hands from behind to bring on a playoff.  But TAKANOHANA was determined:  with well-trained footwork and patience he worked MUSASHIMARU to the edge and pushed him over the tawara to finally break the 13-basho dry spell - and take possession of the Tenno-Hai for the 21st time in his career.

Of the five ozeki, only KAIO put on a performance worthy of the rank.  Losses to WAKANOSATO and komusubi-West TOCHINONADA put him behind the two yokozuna.  But he still had to meet both of them head-to-head, and thus he had a chance to pull himself back into the hunt.  But his loss to TAKANOHANA removed him from any chance at the Tenno-Hai, and he couldn’t stop MUSASHIMARU the next day.  Tomozuna’s strongman finished at 10-5.  The best way to describe the performance of the Musashigawa “College of Sumo Knowledge” at Hatsu 2001 was that it did nothing to vet any of its members as yokozuna material.  #2-East DEJIMA went kadoban with a 7-8, #2-West MIYABIYAMA posted a poor 8-7, and senior member #3-West MUSOYAMA managed a 9-6 in defense of his Hatsu 2000 title.  But they could consider themselves fortunate compared with #1-West CHIYOTAIKAI.  The number-one man on the Kokonoe depth chart and 1999 Hatsu winner was nursing a bad ankle into his day 3 match with TOCHINONADA.  The Kasugano heyagashira met him with both hands to the chest, and CHIYOTAIKAI simply crumpled, unable to regain his feet or bow out.  He went back down the hanamichi in the big wheelchair.  The report is that he suffered serious damage to the ligaments in his ankle:  he will miss the Haru Basho, and may not even be ready in May.  If that is the case, his ozeki standing will be in jeopardy.

The performance of the lower sanyaku was best described as half-feast and half-famine.  WAKANOSATO occupied the sekiwake-East slot on the strength of his 9-6 Kyushu performance, coupled with the Shukun-Sho (Outstanding Performance Prize) he’d earned by spoiling what proved to be AKEBONO’s final bid for zensho yusho.  He still had some momentum left from that outing, and proved it in his shonichi win over KAIO.  The Naruto heyagashira went 1 for 2 against the yokozuna, 3 for 5 against the ozeki, gained his kachi-koshi on day 12 and finished with a more-than-satisfactory 10-5 along with another Shukun-Sho.  Stablemate TAKANOWAKA, right below him at komusubi-East, did not fare as well.  Never mind that both TAKANOHANA and MUSASHIMARU both had their way with him:  the only ozeki that did not beat him was CHIYOTAIKAI, and that was because he had been wheeled out of the Kokugikan the day before.  He was make-koshi after day 10 and could only manage a 4-11.  As bad as that was:  at least he managed to topple sekiwake-West KOTOMITSUKI - and that, after TAKANOHANA’s performance, was the surprise story of Hatsu 2001.  The former college champion had been pushed all the way into the sanyaku on the strength of his 13-2 jun-yusho showing in Fukuoka in which he won all three sansho.  But the other joi-jin quickly showed him that he had a lot to learn if he was going to stay in these rarified ranks.  He lost to CHIYOTAIKAI on day 1, took down tough maegashira #4-East AKINOSHIMA – and was then taken apart by the other sanyaku.  A couple of hiramaku, #1-East TAKANONAMI and #3-West KAIHO, even joined in the slaughter.  He managed to stave off a total sanyaku shutout by forcing DEJIMA off the dohyo on day 9 but his ship was already well nigh on the rocks:  he also finished 4-11.  Meanwhile TOCHINONADA (himself a collegiate makushita insert) managed to go 6 for 10 against the other joi-jin and survived his stint in the ‘killer rank’ with a 9-6 and the Gino-Sho (Technique Prize).

It illustrated the waning power of the once-powerful Futagoyama machine when its next-highest ranking deshi on the banzuke was TAKANONAMI at maegashira #1-East:  for the first time since the 1992 Nagoya Basho the “mightiest heya under Heaven” had only one rikishi in the sanyaku ranks.  The former ozeki’s bid for a return to the joi-jin started well enough with a win over DEJIMA.  But then the rest of the upper-rankers teed off on the two-time yusho winner, and he lost 7 of his next 10.  A win over KOTOMITSUKI staved off demotion but it wasn’t enough:  the former pillar of Futagoyama power lost in spectacular fashion to #4-West TOCHIAZUMA on senshuraku to fall to 6-9.  Joining TAKANONAMI on the down ‘erebeta’ will be “Giant Killer” and kinboshi king AKINOSHIMA, who could only manage a 7-8.  But #12-East TAKATORIKI batted .500 during the first 14 days, then pushed out #10-East KYOKUSHUZAN on senshuraku.  The Haru 2000 winner will defend his title from the middle of the hiramaku:  his string of contests without injury absence now numbers 945 (483-462).

The battle in the maegashira ranks wrote new stories and hinted at new strength to come.  WAKANOYAMA won the Kanto-Sho (Fighting Spirit Prize) with a 9-6 at #3-East:  every Musashigawa Beya sekitori will be ranked in the sanyaku when the Haru 2001 banzuke is published.  TOCHIAZUMA was back in the wars after being sidelined by a bad shoulder.  The former sekiwake, once considered a top contender for ozeki status, began the journey back with a strong 10-5 posting that included wins over the entire “College of Sumo Knowledge” faculty.  Mongolian power, old and new, displayed itself:  #8-East KYOKUTENHO posted a 10-5 to share top hiramaku honors with TOCHIAZUMA while shin-nyumaku #12-West ASASHORYU went 9-6.  #10-East KYOKUSHUZAN used another of the new 2001 kimarite, okuritsuriotoshi (rear lifting body slam) on his way to a winning record.  #7-West KOTORYU put up a 9-6 which may place him over KOTOMITSUKI on the Sadogatake depth chart.  The news wasn’t all on the dohyo and it wasn’t all good:  #8-West TOKI was absent from the competition, suspended by the Kyokai due to a traffic accident in Osaka in which a woman pedestrian was killed (see related story).  No kinboshi were harvested this contest.

In Juryo action:  #1-East TAMANONADA won the yusho and a return to Makunouchi with a 12-3 record.  #3-West OTSUKASA, #10-East HAMANISHIKI, #10-West AOGIYAMA and #13-West KITAZAKURA all posted 10-5 records.  #6-East AMINISHIKI, who had fallen to the second division after a disastrous 1-14 outing in Fukuoka, bounced back with a 9-6.  #8-West WAKATSUTOMU also went 9-6.  The “Cal Ripken of Sumo”, #2-West TERAO, might return to the “Big Show” on his 8-7 effort.   Brazilian #6-West KUNIAZUMA might not have recovered from the injury which put him on the Public Injury shelf in November:  he could only manage a 7-8.  And #9-West SENTORYU did not even answer the bell, thanks to an injured shoulder:  he is expected to be back in action in Osaka.

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The Year 2000 in Review
by “Yukikaze” for SUMO SHIMPO

The final year of the 20th century was a very active and involved sumo year.

1.        The yusho winners were as follows (yusho number in parentheses):

Hatsu:  MUSOYAMA (1)
Haru:  TAKATORIKI (1)
Natsu:  KAIO (1)
Nagoya:  AKEBONO (10)
Aki:  MUSASHIMARU (8)
Kyushu:  AKEBONO (11)

2.        Three rikishi gained ozeki ranking:  MUSOYAMA, MIYABIYAMA and KAIO.

3.        Two ozeki lost their ranking:  TAKANONAMI and MUSOYAMA.  TAKANONAMI regained it but then lost it for good:  his poor performance at the Kyushu Basho sealed his fate.  MUSOYAMA just managed to get the 10 wins in September he needed to reclaim his parking  privileges under the Kokugikan.

4.        There were a spate of retirements.  Tops among these was that of yokozuna WAKANOHANA (who has since left the world of sumo:  see related story) who packed it in during the Haru Basho when he finally realized he could no longer perform at the level expected of a grand champion.  Others who called it a career were yusho-winning former sekiwake KOTONISHIKI and MITOIZUMI, and long-time maegashira journeyman KITAKACHIDOKI.

5.        Gaijin rikishi made greater inroads into the Japanese national sport.  SENTORYU, who had spent many years in the lower divisions, finally broke through into the Makunouchi to become the first continental American to do so.  Mongolian sensation ASASHORYU made the Juryo,  becoming the first rikishi born in 1980 to become a sekitori.  And Brazil’s KUNIAZUMA finally earned his oichomage after years of hard work.  On the other side:  Argentinian HOSHITANGO, who had finally appeared to establish himself in the paid ranks, went 0-15 at Nagoya to drop back to the Makushita alongside countryman HOSHIANDESU, who has since retired.  (A complete listing of gaijin rikishi is printed in this newsletter.)

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Local Competition Reports
By “Tonkatsu” for SUMO SHIMPO

Holiday Open
The Holiday Open was held in Escondido on Dec. 10, 2000 in conjunction with a karate tournament.  This was not a totally satisfactory arrangement because the venue did not have enough room to run adult sumo and all the karate events at the same time.  We were able to hold the kids events in the space allocated, but not the men's. It was necessary to shut down the karate to make room to do the men's events.  Not all the karate people were happy about this.

Four kids’ divisions were contested:  little, medium, big and biggest.  There were three men’s divisions:  lightweight, heavyweight and open.  There were four competitors in the men’s lightweight and heavyweight divisions and eight in the open.  The kids’ results were as follows:

Little Kids.  1. Gabe Arce, UCMAA 2.Terra Parker, UCMAA 3. Saril Paz, UCMAA 4. Brandon Marquez, UCMAA
Medium Kids  1. Mike Phan, LBPAL 2. Adam Entin, UCMAA 3. Sean Williams, UCMAA  4. Mike Dunn, UCMAA 5. Ngoc Phan, LBPAL
Big Kids 1. Johnny Salazar, UCMAA 2. Manuel Payan, UCMAA 3. Billy Carter, UCMAA
Biggest Kids 1. Marcus Reerford, LBPAL 2. John Ramsey, UCMAA 3. Amanda Scales, LBPAL

The men’s results were as follows:
Lightweights.  1. Svetoslav Binev 2. Andrew Freund 3. Vladimir Kovacevic 4. George Williams
Heavyweights  1. David Knight 2. Marcus Barber 3. Jim Lowerre 4. Harry Dudrow
Open  1. Svetoslav Binev 2. Marcus Barber 3. David Knight 4. Andrew Freund

Mr. Binev is a two-time World Amateur Lightweight Champion.  Mr. Kovacevic, Mr. Williams and Mr. Barber were competing in their first sumo tournament.  Very nice plaques were awarded to the first three places in all divisions.

Goltz Sumo IV
The first sumo tournament put on by the Southern California Sumo Kyokai was a kids’ tournament at the Goltz Judo Club in Claremont California in January 1998.  That first tournament was contested by fourteen boys and three girls.  The next year we added men’s competitions, with contestants coming from as far away as Tucson, Arizona and Bloomington, Indiana to contend.  Last year, with teams coming from the Long Beach Police Athletic League and the Temecula Valley Judo Club we had over thirty competitors.

This year, for a number of reasons (including inauguration day, sickness and conflicting events) we had the smallest turnout yet.  Only eleven competitors - six kids, two teens and three men - answered the bell.  Disappointing of course; but then as the saying goes, "The show must go on".  With Ernie Hunt officiating and Sensei Gary Goltz doing his version of an ESPN commentator on the portable PA, the show did indeed go on. 

Trophies were awarded in the following divisions, names by Sensei Gary:

"Little Kids":  all first tournament. 1. Jeremy Cruz (age 9, 70lbs. PAL)  2. Justin Domingo (age 8, 60lbs. Goltz) 3. Carlos Gallegos (age 8, 50lbs. PAL).

"Slightly a little bit bigger little kids":  all veterans. 1. Kareem Issac (age 9, 60lbs. PAL) 2. Gabrielle Carrasco (age 9, 103lbs. Goltz) 3. Katherine Carrasco (age 7, 98lbs. Goltz).

After these divisions were done, everyone wanted more; so both divisions were combined for a "Kohaku" competition.  In this type of competition you start with the two smallest and the winners stay in until they lose.  The last winner wrestles back down the line until they lose or beat everyone.  The results were:   1. Gabrielle Carrasco, 6 wins  2. Kareem Issac, 4 wins  3. Jeremy Cruz, 2 wins  4. (Tie) Katherine Carrasco and Justin Domingo, 1 win each  6. Carlos Gallegos 0 wins.

"Beauty and the Beast":  best two out of three.  1. Stephanie Abramowicz (age 16, 95lbs.) 2 wins  2. Sharif Ali (age 16, 140lbs.) 1 win.

"Big Guys" round robin:  1. Marcus Barber (age 30, 450lbs.) over Jim Lowerre (age 47, 295lbs.) by uwatenage.  2. Harry Dudrow (age 60, 265lbs.) over  Lowerre by yorikiri.  3. Barber vs. Dudrow dotai (simultaneously out of bounds):  on torinaoshi (rematch) Barber over Dudrow by yorikiri.  Gold:  Marcus Barber.  Silver:  Harry Dudrow.  Bronze:  Jim Lowerre.

We don't know if Goltz Sumo IV will be the last in the series; but it will be the last at the Baseline Recreation Center.  The center, an old fire station, is being closed and the Goltz Judo Club will be moving to a spacious new recreation center in June.

More on "An Olympic Moment"
Apparently, we were not alone in our view of the Greco-Roman Heavyweight match.  Henry Provencher, whose son Austin is a Junior champion in both styles of Olympic wrestling (and who has won his age class in several SCSK tournaments – Ed.), told us that Karelin and Gardner are known as "The Dancing Bears".

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RESULTS of the 9th WORLD SUMO CHAMPIONSHIPS
in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Notes:
1.  Openweight is a separate and distinct division:  competitors in this division may not compete in any other weight classification.
2.  Two-time lightweight champion Svetoslav Binev (BUL), now living in the U.S., was unable to leave the country to defend his title.

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Gaijin Rikishi Data and Results (as of Hatsu 2001)

Data from Moti Dichne’s Sumo Homepage (www.dichne.com)